Monthly Archives: February 2021

sysadmin

Set the iLO password from Linux using hponcfg

Set the iLO password from Linux using hponcfg

No matter if you are looking for a way to manage the iLO settings from the Linux command line or just have lost or forgotten the iLO password, as long as you have access to the Linux system running on the server, HP’s management utilities allows you to configure the iLO even without knowing the password for it.

To reset / set the password of the iLO from within the linux operating system on an HP server, the hponcfg utility needs to be installed. The hp utilities are not part of the standard distributions’ repositories. As such, an additional repository needs to be added.

Installing the Management Component Pack

Follow the instructions from this page about the Management Component Pack (mcp) to install the mcp repository (the page also lists which distributions and versions are supported). The steps below show the installation for Debian.

Adding the repository on Debian:

echo "# HPE Management Component Pack" >/etc/apt/sources.list.d/hp-nonfree.list
echo "deb http://downloads.linux.hpe.com/SDR/repo/mcp jessie/current non-free" >/etc/apt/sources.list.d/hp-nonfree.list

The repository contains signed packages. To verify the signature, the corresponding keys need to be installed too. It is suggested to install all the keys to be able to verify packages that have been signed before 2015. At the time of writing, in 2018, importing the old keys seems not to really be necessary to setup the repository on Debian.

curl http://downloads.linux.hpe.com/SDR/hpePublicKey2048_key1.pub | apt-key add -

After setting up the repository, the hponcfg utility can be installed. The repository offers a number of packages with hponcfg being the one necesarry to set the password for the iLO.

$ sudo apt-get install hponcfg

Setting the iLO password

The hponcfg utility is an online configuration tool used to set up and reconfigure the local iLO without requiring a reboot of the server operating system. It can be used to retrieve and change the iLO configuration of the local server from the linux command line.

In the following, the “Administrator” password is set. To set any setting on the iLO, an xml file (called iLO4_set_password.xml in this example) needs to be prepared. The XML starts with the “RIBCL” element followed by the “LOGIN” element which contains the a username and password property.

infoIt’s interesting to notice at this point is that the “LOGIN” element must be present in the xml document but neither the username nor the password needs to be valid login credentials to the iLO. In fact, they can be anything but an empty string. To illustrate this, the following example xml shows an “x” as USER_LOGIN and PASSWORD.

The element after LOGIN contains the setting to be set in the iLO. In the below example, it contains the MOD_USER element together with its USER_LOGIN property to modify the “Administrator” user. The PASSWORD element inside the MOD_USER defines the new password (in clear text) to be set for the Administrator user.

<RIBCL VERSION="2.0">
  <LOGIN USER_LOGIN="x" PASSWORD="x">
  <USER_INFO MODE="write">
    <MOD_USER USER_LOGIN="Administrator">
      <PASSWORD value="pa$$word"/>
    </MOD_USER>
  </USER_INFO>
  </LOGIN>
</RIBCL>

Saved to a file, this xml can be loaded into the iLO. To load the xml file into the iLO, the hponcfg command with the “-f filename” option is used. The “-f” option instructs hponcfg to set Management Processor (iLO) configuration from “filename”.

$ sudo hponcfg -f iLO4_set_password.xml
HP Lights-Out Online Configuration utility
Version 4.6.0 Date 09/28/2015 (c) Hewlett-Packard Company, 2015
Firmware Revision = 2.54 Device type = iLO 4 Driver name = hpilo
Script succeeded

After the command has been executed successfully, the Administrator’s password is set to the new value.

To find out about other settings that can be set using the hponcfg utility, I suggest exporting all settings using the following command as well as checking the Scripting Toolkit for Linux – Using HPONCFG, which contains some examples but sadly not much explanation.

$ sudo hponcfg -a -w iLO4_export.xml

Source: Set the iLO password from Linux using hponcfg – Experiencing Technology

pinball

EM schematic reading guide

Schematics

Every EM game included a schematic diagram when leaving the factory. Because EM games are now tens of years old, the diagrams are often lost or found their way into some repairmans collection. Many times can another games schematic diagram from the same timeframe be helpful, because there were much similarities between games. However, if you are troubleshooting a game specific feature, it would be nice to have a schematic available. But, it helps only if you know how to read it!

A repairman does not have to memorize every schematic. It is sufficient to know how to read them and recognize different parts and circuits. The information presented here lets you understand every schematic and make necessary adjustments and repairs in EM pinballs.

Drawing symbols

These are probably clear for everyone. Relay and solenoid coils do not differ in their drawing symbols. Sometimes the lamp symbol includes a little loop inside representing the filament.

Electronic hobbyists may wonder the switch symbol. It looks just like capacitor! Anyway these symbols are frequently used in relay diagrams not only in pinball schematics. A closing switch, that connects when actuated, is drawn as two parallel lines. An opening switch has a transverse line over the symbol. These can be connected to get a changeover switch or other multiple switches.

An important part in a pinball machine is the score motor. It has a large amount of switches in several different levels operated by motor cams. Motor operated switches are drawn with a circle around the switch symbol. Schematic diagrams are usually drawn with the motor at zero (home) position, and the switch symbol is marked with a letter for the level (height) and a number for the switch position. After 0 comes 1, and so on

Switches and coils

Score motor switches

Score motor switches are in multiple levels and positions. The level is marked by a letter and the position by a number.

Remember that the switches are drawn at the motor zero position. Then a switch closing at zero is drawn with an opening switches symbol because it is “normally” closed. Correspondingly switch closing at position 5 is drawn as closing switch, because it is “normally” open. “Normally” means here the motor being at zero position.

Examples

Color codes

Wire colors are marked in schematics with letters or numbers. Usually the wires have two colors, one for background, one for a stripe or dots. Those of us who memorize electronic components color codes, may be a little disappointed to notice the EM schematic color numbers are totally different! Fortunately different manufacturers used same numbers, and often the colors are marked in plain text.

ColorAbbreviationNumber
RedR1
BlueBlu2
YellowY3
GreenG4
WhiteW5
BrownBr6
OrangeO7
BlackB8
GrayGray9
no stripe0

The first number is the wires background color. The second number or letter is the color of stripes or dots. The codes are not always used, sometimes the color is in plain English.

Example:
Y = yellow wire
B-BLU = black wire with blue stripe
15 = red wire with white stripe

On old machines the wire colors might be faded. Especially red color has a tendency to fade to gray or even white! But when you open the wire bunch a bit, you can usually see the original color from an unfaded spot.

Real life fault and fixing

The bell rings when scoring ten points, but not with 100 points. Everything else seems to work. Schematic shows that the bell should ring both with 10 and with 100 points scoring:

Looking at the machine, it is found out that the 100 point score reel does work. This tells us that the 100 point relay is pulling. What is left to check, is the black/blue wire between bell and relay, and the relay switches.

Try connecting the bell solenoid black/blue wire with a test jumper lead to the yellow wire at 100 point relay switch. If the bell rings, problem must be with relay switch. If it doesn’t ring there must be a cut wire between 100 point relay and the bell.

Originally from http://tuukan.fliput.net/emkytkis_en.html

Computer, DNS, firewall, FreePBX, IT, Linux, sysadmin

DHCP Options in Plain English

DHCP Options in Plain English

Published on 18 May 2013

The following tables list common, configurable DHCP options. Non-configurable options or TLVs have not been included, even though these may be present in a file or on the wire. The following tables also do not include options that are only necessary for the operation of the DHCP protocol. For example, DHCPv4 option 53 is the DHCP message type option that declares whether a particular message is a discovery, request, or other message type. However, the administrator can’t configure this option, so therefore it isn’t included in the lists below.
Of course, there will be some DHCPv4, DHCPv6, and internal DHCP options that are not listed at all. This is because this document aims to act as a guide for the most commonly-used options only. For further information on other DHCP options, refer to the IETF website.

Table 1 – DHCPv4 Options

The table below describes DHCP options commonly used in IPv4 networks. Please note: Certain classes of devices will use particular subsets, as listed below:

  • Cable Modems: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 51, 66, 67, 122.1, 122.2
  • MTAs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 51, 122.3, 122.6.  If in BASIC mode, also 66, 67
  • Generic devices: 1, 3, 6, 51
Option Number Option Name Source Description
1 Subnet Mask RFC 2132 The subnet mask to apply to the address that is assigned to the client.
2 Time Zone Offset RFC 2132 Informs the client about the time zone offset, in seconds.  For example, Pacific Standard Time is GMT – 8 hours.  This field would be filled with “- 28800”.  (Eight hours * 60 minutes/hour * 60 seconds/minute)
3 Gateway RFC 2132 Tells the client which router is the default router.
4 Time Server RFC 2132 Tells the client the IP address of a time server that can determine the client’s current time. This is related to the Time Zone Offset option.
6 Domain Name Server RFC 2132 Carries the IP address(es) of the DNS servers that the client uses for name resolution.
7 Log Server RFC 2132 Carries the IP address of the syslog server that receives the client’s log messages.
12 Hostname RFC 2132 Carries the hostname portion of a client’s fully qualified domain name (FQDN). For example, the “www” part of “www.example.com”.
15 Domain Name RFC 2132 Carries the domain name portion of a client’s fully qualified domain name (FQDN).  For example, the “example.com” portion of “www.example.com”.
43 Vendor Specific Information RFC 2132 Carries some configuration data that is not defined in the standard DHCP RFCs.  Individual vendors can define different pieces of data that may be found in this option. CableLabs’ eDOCSIS specification, for example, defines certain sub-options that appear in this option.
51 Lease Time Option RFC 2132 This defines the maximum amount of time that the client may use the IP address.
60 Vendor Class Identifier RFC 2132 Carries some identifier from the client that may identify the client’s device class. The DHCP specification does not define what values go into this field, but other specifications do. For example, the DOCSIS specifications state that if the device is DOCSIS-compliant, option 60 must start with “docsis” (and also include other details).
66 TFTP Server Name RFC 2132 Carries the FQDN or IP address (or cluster identifier) that the device should use to download the file specified in option 67.  Note that often the data put into option 66 does not actually appear in the DHCP packet as option 66, but may have been moved into the “sname” field of the DHCP packet.  Additionally, the FQDN may have been resolved to an IP address and also placed in the “siaddr” field of the DHCP packet.
67 Filename RFC 2132 Carries the filename that is to be downloaded from the server specified in option 66. Note that often data put into option 67 does not actually appear in the DHCP packet as option 67, but may be moved into the “file” field of the DHCP packet.  (Note: Address Commander can do some dynamic file name generation for this name.)
82 Relay Agent Information Option RFC 3046 This option carries many other sub-options that are added by relay agents and not the clients themselves.  Some of the common options are listed below.
82.1 Circuit ID RFC 3046 This is an identifier added by the relay agent to indicate which interface the client is on. This is commonly used as a subscriber identifier in DSL-based networks.
82.2 Remote ID RFC 3046 This is an identifier added by the relay agent to identify the client. It is commonly used as a subscriber identifier in DOCSIS-based networks.  DOCSIS mandates that this option is filled with the MAC address of the cable modem and applies to all traffic from the cable modem, or any device appearing from behind that cable modem.
122 CableLabs Client Configuration Option RFC 3495 This is an option defined by CableLabs to carry the information necessary to configure PacketCable devices. The sub-options are listed below.
122.1 TSP Primary DHCP Server RFC 3495 The multimedia telephony adapter (MTA) portion of the device listens to this IP address of the DHCP server. This has two special values, 0.0.0.0 (which will disable the MTA), and 255.255.255.255 (which will instruct the MTA to accept replies from any DHCP server).
122.2 TSP Secondary DHCP Server RFC 3495 A second DHCP server’s IP address.  Otherwise the same as option 122.1
122.3 TSP Provisioning Server’s Address RFC 3495 The MTA contacts the server listed to complete its provisioning process. This is the FQDN of a multimedia provisioning service (MPS), whether a specific MPS, or a cluster identifier.
122.6 TSP Kerberos Realm Name RFC 3495 For PacketCable secure mode provisioning, the name of the Kerberos Realm. There are four more special values that may be in this field: BASIC.1, BASIC.2, HYBRID.1, and HYBRID.2.  This indicates whether the device is in basic, hybrid, or secure mode provisioning. The “.1” and “.2” parts indicate whether the MTA notified the provisioning server upon completion of the provisioning process.

 

Table 2: DHCPv6 Options

The table below describes DHCP options commonly used in IPv6 networks.

Option Number Option Name Source Description
17 Vendor Specific Information Option RFC 3315 This option contains vendor-specific option data, much like DHCPv4 option 43.  There is an extra difference in that in DHCPv6, this option carries a vendor ID as well, which allows for data from multiple vendors to be provided to the device.
17[4491] CableLabs Vendor-Specific Information Option CL-SP-CANN-DHCP-Reg-I08-111117 CableLabs has specified a set of sub-options for use with DOCSIS-compliant DHCPv6 devices.  The vendor ID for CableLabs is 4491.
17[4491].32 TFTP Server Addresses option CL-SP-CANN-DHCP-Reg-I08-111117 This is a list of IPv6 addresses that the client will use to try to download its boot file (specified in 17[4491].33) using TFTP.
17[4491].33 Configuration File Name CL-SP-CANN-DHCP-Reg-I08-111117 The name of the file to download using the TFTP servers specified in 17[4491].32.
17[4491].34 Syslog Server Addresses CL-SP-CANN-DHCP-Reg-I08-111117 This is the DHCPv6 analogue to the DHCPv4 option 7.
17[4491].37 RFC868 Servers CL-SP-CANN-DHCP-Reg-I08-111117 This is the DHCPv6 analogue to the DHCPv4 option 4
17[4491].38 Time Offset CL-SP-CANN-DHCP-Reg-I08-111117 This is the DHCPv6 analogue to the DHCPv4 option 2.
23 DNS Recursive Name Server Option RFC 3646 This is the DHCPv6 analogue to the DHCPv4 option 6.
24 Domain Search List RFC 3646 This option specifies the list of domain names that the client should use when attempting to resolve basic host names.
39 DHCPv6 FQDN option RFC 4704 This option specifies the clients host and domain names. This is the analogue of both DHCPv4 option 12 and DHCPv4 option 15 combined. 

References

RFC 2132: http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc2132/
RFC 3046: http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc3046/
RFC 3495: http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc3495/
RFC 3646: http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc3646/
RFC 4704: http://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc4704/
CL-SP-CANN-DHCP-Reg-I08-111117: http://www.cablelabs.com/specifications/CL-SP-CANN-DHCP-Reg-I08-111117.pdf

Source: DHCP Options in Plain English – Incognito Software

buddypress, wordpress

Make the BP Non Editable Profile Fields Truly Non Editable • WordPress & BuddyPress Support Forums | BuddyDev

function bpfr_hide_profile_edit( $retval ) {

  // remove field from edit tab
   if ( bp_is_user_profile_edit() ) {
     $retval['exclude_fields'] = '2'; // field IDs separated by comma
   }

  // allow field on register page
  if ( bp_is_register_page() ) {
    $retval['include_fields'] = '2'; // field IDs separated by comma
  }

  // hide the field on profile view tab
  if ( $data = bp_get_profile_field_data( ‘field=2’ ) ) :  /// Joel MMCC: Does this also need to be changed, and if so, how for multiple fields?
    $retval['exclude_fields'] = '2'; // field IDs separated by comma
  endif;

return $retval;
}

Source: Make the BP Non Editable Profile Fields Truly Non Editable • WordPress & BuddyPress Support Forums | BuddyDev